A/N: Here it is, folks! As usual, the prologue is shorter, but the chapters that are coming will be longer, I promise.

I have a few things to point out about Book 2. There will be a time-skip, starting with next chapter which will take place roughly 10-12 months in the future, a few months after Dina's birth. Point number two is that there is still a lot to cover concerning Ben's story which is definitely not over. He might not be there physically in the chapter, but he might appear in a different way. Also, I have one last flashback where he'll be the POV character which will round up the flashback arc. And last but not least, get ready for some new factions! You can expect encounters with other communities and new characters, which I am very excited for.

New Light is perhaps the most ambitious of my works, and I can't wait to get to some of the saucy chapters I have in store for you guys. I hope you'll enjoy this humble prologue, and cheers!


BOOK 2 – New Light

Prologue

The light of the day had long since ebbed and dwindled to nothing, now as midnight marched steadily towards Ellie, the air was cooler and damper than it had been. In the sweet rain-washed darkness the sounds of the night became loud in her ears, even the rustling of the leaves and the whisper of the wind was thunderous. She swore that in the absolute blackness of that midnight world she could have heard a beetle in the earth, so acute became her hearing.

Escaping from Seattle was no easy feat. Washington Liberation Front had taken over everything after having won the war against the Scars. Ellie and the rest had to fight their way through to get out. They barely made it, but those skirmishes had their ups as well as downs. For example, the horses they had taken from the fallen soldiers. Animals proved to be quite a blessing that made their journey much easier, especially for Dina. Treacherous terrain of Idaho was another obstacle, but other than that, journey was quite peaceful, which left a lot of room for thinking. Something Ellie didn't look forward to.

Orange lights flickered through the canopy in the distance. She knew they were close. Only two towns away. Less than two months earlier, she had patrolled there together with Dina. Those were happier times. Ellie's horse walked calmly through the cracked streets, followed by two more on either side. Dina rode right next to her, but Jesse dragged himself behind them. She looked at Dina out of the corner of her eye. Her posture on the horse was still firm, but her face showed that she was on the verge of exhaustion. Pregnancy took a big toll on her, and her stomach began to show.

She grabbed Dina's hand across the saddle and smiled at her. "You okay? We're almost home."

"I am. Thanks." Dina smiled back at her, squeezing her hand harder. "You?"

"I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

The closer they got to the settlement, tmore anxious Ellie became. A huge responsibility fell on her. She decided that she would be the one to confront Maria and tell her what happened in Seattle. How am I supposed to tell her about Tommy? She forced herself not to think about it until she got home, but now they were so close, and she had no idea what to say. Then there was Emily Walker too. I don't want to think about it. Not now.

The terrain gradually flattened as the trio reached the barricade that stretched all the way around the settlement. The settlement of Jackson itself was only a small portion of what was once a city of Jackson. Ellie often thought about what cities used to look like back then, the time when lights from cars had lit up the sidewalks, when grass hadn't coiled its way through every pavement and building, roping buildings that had once stretched up, up and up into the clouds down, binding them to earth.

A tower was built every fifty steps along the barricade, and at the top of each tower was a light that made it impossible for anyone to sneak up. Their speed had slowly decreased as they drew closer to Jackson's main gate, but now Ellie halted completely, putting a hand out to stop Dina who was riding beside her. Jesse stopped at the other side, his mouth zipped. Ellie couldn't remember the last time she heard him speak. One of the watchmen from the towers asked them who they were, and the door began to creak open when Ellie announced their arrival. Buildings became to appear around them as they rode through the entrance, into the settlement they left behind not so long ago.

"We're home." Ellie whispered, more to herself than to anyone else and sighed. That "we" was supposed to include all five of them. How am I supposed to tell them?

Jesse uttered something to Dina behind her. Ellie was able to pick up go home and rest. She glanced at Dina for only a moment, noticing her nodding to whatever else Jesse was saying to her. The sound of footsteps, however, occupied her attention. Two sentries approached her, both of them with rifles in their hands. They wore warm clothes even though the spring was already halfway gone. She didn't blame them, the night was quite cold. Black-haired girl was none other than Cat, Ellie's ex-girlfriend. To her side stood a man Ellie couldn't recognize because of the darkness.

"You're back." exclaimed Cat when she saw them, slinging the rifle over her shoulder. "Thank God. You guys okay?"

Ellie jumped off her horse and stretched her back before handing the reins to Cat. "We are."

She hadn't changed much, but Ellie noticed that her hair – which she used to cut very short – had grown longer. It reached all the way to her shoulders, perhaps longest Ellie had seen on her. Cat's tattoos weren't visible under all those layers. She looked genuinely happy to see them. And especially Ellie at that, considering the two of them didn't get off on the best of terms a few months ago when Ellie ended their relationship.

"Where are.."

"Tell Maria we're back." Jesse interrupted her halfway during the question she intended to ask. She raised an eyebrow, but walked off with her partner without replying, leading their horses by the reins. Ellie knew the time had come, time for confrontation. She turned to her friends behind her for one last time, as if asking for advice, but Jesse and Dina's face were as blank as a paper sheet. Voices came from the other side of the street causing Ellie to shiver. She took a deep breath, and mustered all the courage she could to face Maria that walked towards her in a hurry.

x

A knock on the front door woke her up. In ten hours she had been in bed she must had woken up at least six times. Not for that long each time, but enough to break her sleep into un-refreshing chunks. With every disturbance there was a new nightmare. She fought with Joel causing his death. She tortured a woman that began to haunt her body. She lost her best friend who then turned into a white wolf and ripped her throat, and her adoptive uncle that blamed her for everything that happened. She wanted to wash her brain in cold water, chill the whole thing right out, but she couldn't. For some reason, she wanted some of that coffee Joel loved to drink that would put her over the edge. The knocking continued and she twitched from her thoughts, returning to reality.

"I'm coming." her voice was hoarse. She was crying when she got home last night.

Her eyes closed abruptly when the outside light blinded her after she opened the door. She rubbed them and tried to adjust to the daylight, after which she recognized the shape in front of her door. Cold breeze made her shiver in her t-shirt, the morning was chilly.

"Morning." said Jesse, the blur sharpened and Ellie recognized him leaning onto the frame. "You look horrible."

Ellie frowned, rubbing her eyes until the blur sharpened. "Yeah, I didn't sleep well."

"It's time."

With that, Jesse placed his hand on her shoulder as a sign of support before walking away through her small yard, leaving her to shiver alone. Maria would make an announcement soon. Majority of the settlement was still oblivious to the happenings in Seattle. Afterwards, two graves would be dug at the cemetery. Two graves, but no bodies to be placed inside.

Ellie didn't rush getting dressed. Maria's announcement wasn't a thing she was looking forward to. It was enough that she had her mind on it the whole time, there was no need to listen about it. Ellie made sure to dress warm before heading out. On her way towards the settlement forum, a place where the announcement took place, Ellie found herself seeing more and more familiar faces she tried to greet as warm as she could. They did the same, though some of them swarmed her with questions which she avoided to answer. She came upon Cat on her way to the forum, who told her that the announcement had been done and that the funeral was supposed to take place any minute. She gave her a hug and said her condolences, but those didn't make Ellie feel any better.

The settlement's forum was located in its very center. It was once a crossroad that was basically turned into a place for entertainment in the open. There was a wide wooden platform in the middle of it with rows of benches surrounding it. During the spring and summer, those who could play instruments or sing would usually perform in front of the crowd, winning various awards for the best performance in form of old items of value like the statues, pieces of art and even delicacies and weapons. Ellie enjoyed those eventsa lot, as well as anything that emphasized creativity. She even considered playing her guitar in front of the crowd, but backed out after her falling out with Joel two years back. People had dispersed from the forum, and probably headed out to the cemetery, but Maria remained on the platform, reading a paper of some sort. Ellie was saddened when she saw her standing alone on top of it. Maria and Tommy used to announce performers together back in the day.

She still looked quite strong and healthy, moving with the agility of a woman half her age and bearing herself with a blend of motherly and matriarchal qualities. The moment she saw Ellie approaching, the strict look in her eyes softened, and she lowered her gaze. Ellie still remembered her reaction from last night. Reaction? Rather a mental breakdown. Maria fell on her knees when Ellie told her of Tommy's death. She cried and passed out, having to be carried back into her house. That was the first time Ellie had seen her weak. And probably the only time she would ever do.

"Hey." Ellie greeted when she climbed up on the platform. Maria embraced her, and they held each other for several moments before letting go.

"I'd ask you how you're holding up, but I bet you were asked that question too many times." Maria said with a smile, albeit a sad one.

Ellie nodded, "You have no idea."

"Shitty day, huh?"

Ellie looked up, noticing the overcast sky for the first time since she got out of the house. The weather reminded her of Seattle, a day of never-ending rain. It perfectly reflected on her grim mood. "Tell me about it."

Maria inhaled deeply, and two started to walk off the platform. "I have to admit, this isn't going to be an easy thing."

Ellie looked at her sideways. Even if Maria sound shook, there was no way for Ellie to see it. No emotions, Maria's decisions were always well-thought-out ones, even those made in the matter of moments. She had a character and a strong will. On top of everything, she was very smart. Maria was something Ellie could never be, a true leader.

"We will do it together." Ellie said to reassure her. "We've both lost so much."

"We have." Maria confirmed bitterly. "Now, let's get it over with and be done with it."

Not too long ago, Ellie thought Joel's funeral was the hardest thing she had to go through. She thought this one would be the same, but it hit her differently in a way. It wasn't worse or more traumatic, but it had a whole different feel to it.

Crowd had gathered at the cemetery, dozens of people who gave her compassionate looks and kind words. Everyone's heads were down. Maybe it was them showing respect or maybe they were too afraid to look at what was coming. Two coffins were pulled from the carriage by ten strong men, all wearing black clothes. Empty coffins, the thought couldn't escape her mind. The silence dwelled as they entered the cemetery, carrying the wooden caskets. They wobbled as they carried it to the front of the freshly dug graves and gently placed it on grass next to them.

The coffins were dark stained cherry and they were surprisingly polished. It had a cushioned and silky lining it even seemed inviting. Ellie wondered where they found them in that condition. If their bodies were inside, it would be good to know that at least the they were resting in a comfortable place. Empty coffins, still lingered in her mind.

Ellie held Maria's shaky hand the whole time. She silently wiped a stray tear onto her sleeve and rested on her shoulder. She kept it together until they passed a picture of Tommy and that's when all the memories came flooding back like a tidal wave. Tommy's face seemed so alive and happy and Ellie couldn't help but wonder what his body looked like now, lost back there in Seattle. She stared blankly at it hoping that a miracle would happen and he would enter the cemetery with one of his usual jokes and announce to everyone Sike, I'm not dead yet. Ellie forced herself to hold her walls up, she had to be strong for Maria.

Then she noticed Emily standing on the other side of the grave, wearing her black sweater, standing out from the crowd because of her long fair hair that was tied in a ponytail. Eldest Walker sibling was a very beautiful woman, and a spitting image of her younger brothers, the only difference being feminine features. Eldest and the only one left. Ellie hadn't faced her yet. She just stood there in silence, her face blank, eyes staring into a hole where the coffins were put down. It was crazy how things could turn upside down. Ellie saw the two of them nearly every day and suddenly, they were gone and when they went, a part of her went with them too.

"Henry says that they've moved on.. that they're with their families like in heaven. Do you think that's true?" Ellie's friend Sam asked her that very question long time ago, which made her wonder about it ever since he died. Was Joel in heaven? Or even Tommy? They did some pretty messed up things back in the day, even though, deep down, they were good men.

Who knew where they were going to end up if there was a heaven. Ellie liked to believe that the place was inviting and calm and there was nothing but good in it.

Ben would go to heaven, she concluded and smiled sadly at the memory of him. Benjamin Walker, one of the kindest, if not the kindest person she had ever known. A guy who hated violence and injustice in this hell of a world, a guy who simply wished to make it better. His death was perhaps the biggest tragedy of Ellie's vendetta. He didn't deserve to die, yet he did. He hated violence and death, yet he embraced it to protect her and bring her home. There was a time when Ellie thought he was a coward, but he was one of the bravest men she had ever known, and she realized it only when it was too late.

Funeral etiquette demanded the others to visit the families of the deceased, but Ellie was glad it was still a day or two away, giving her some time to spend alone. Dina was absent from the funeral, which was understandable considering she was still sick. Ellie couldn't allow herself to be burdened by death when Dina needed her help. Even so, she cut herself some slack when she got back home, taking off her sweater and lighting a weak fire to warm her place up.

When she changed her clothes, she walked over to a cabinet next to her bed and pulled open a drawer, starting to rummage through the contents of it, eager to find what she was looking for. Her thin fingers pulled out a small photograph, all crumpled up. Ellie pressed her head against the wall, cherishing the face in the photograph. Emily took that photograph some two and half years ago, before Tom died. Ben and Ellie sitting on the grass in front of a large oak just outside the settlement, sharing the ear buds. Ellie threw a peace sign with her left, and Ben threw what was supposed to be a peace sign but looked quite clumsy and awkward because of the angle. Typical from him. Her eyes dripped with tears all of the sudden. Her walls, the walls that held her up, made her strong just.. collapsed. Moment by moment, they fell. Salty drops fell from her chin, drenching her shirt.

Sometimes, the memory of him would make her smile, but nowadays they always make her sad, people like him could get you like nothing else. Ben – fiercely loyal and overprotective, like she ever needed that. Her, who got into trouble every now and then and him who got the full whack of his sister every time he'd expose himself to that same danger to get her out of it. That was Ben for you. She knew she had to stop thinking of him. The wish for him to be there with her filled her with such grief and rage and bitterness that she thought she'd explode. But there was no way around it. The grief was all that was left, but first she had to accept that he was really gone – and though she wanted to let go, there was a part of her that held the memory back. There was a part of her that would never believe he wouldn't come bouncing around some corner to laugh at her for laughing at his stupid jokes.

"You're such an asshole." she whispered, but he wasn't there to say I know.